To Protect
by Lava Puppy
Summary: Altair and Malik are switching the Bureau in Jerusalem to a safer location with the help of a novice while the Leader has a break.While they are doing this,something happens,something that could compromise the brotherhood and the life of all three.Pregame


A/N: I do not own Assassin's Creed or this inspiration for this fic. This was based of a charming fan-picture by Kiu-Lung on Deviantart- the link to the page is at the bottom of the story! I encourage you strongly to visit it.

* * *

**It wasn't supposed to be like this.**

It was an easy mission; just a simple matter of relocating the Bureau in Jerusalem for cautionary purposes. Altair had been sent with a young novice and Malik to aid the Bureau Leader with moving the maps and ancient books from one building to another, without attracting too much attention. They had mapped it out over a few days, each day they moved a new group of things, taking roundabout routes to the other side of the Poor District, where a new building had been secured. Secrecy was the upmost importance, and there wasn't much of a threat of anything else. It was like a vacation, if assassins ever got any.

The novice was barely into his training, at a young age of 11. A bright boy, he had more than once informed both Master Assassin and Bureau Leader of any guards nearby and both found this information useful and impressive from such a young boy (not that Altair would show it). But he also had a bad habit of chattering when Altair was trying to meditate...which usually ended in Malik and Altair getting into a verbal battle of wits when the other assassin jumped to the child's defense.

**He should have been more careful. He was responsible.**

"Nuri! Pay attention, boy." Altair said, and the grey hooded novice snapped back from his daydreaming, quickly straightening and clutched his package of books a little tighter.

"Sorry Master Altair." Altair grunted in response, and jumped from the edge of a building, landing squarely on the other side.

Nuri followed, landing expertly on the other side of the wide gap, where he decided chatter would be a good idea.

"Master Altair, did you know..." And for the next 15 minutes Altair was subject to an in depth explanation of how Nuri's brother was head over heels for the pot carrier in Damascus.

"There you two are. How was the walk?" Malik poked his head up from behind the new desk. The Bureau Leader had been given a few days 'vacation', assured that the three others would get everything in order again.

"Interesting. Did you know that..." Malik listened attentively, putting the books away while Nuri rambled on about something he saw in the markets. Altair rolled his eyes and aggressively shoved the maps onto the table. The boy seemed to have a tale or rumor on everything that walked and talked and breathed, and everything that didn't.

"Can we have a moment of peace, please?" He snapped and Nuri fell silent immediately, looking down at his feet as he handed Malik the last book. Altair looked away crossly as Malik shot him a glare. He didn't care. At least they had silence.

And they had it all the way back to the Bureau. Malik had tried to engage him in conversation on the way home, and in the Bureau's safety, but he had avoided it, answering in monotone answers and short sentences.

Finally, the boy said he was going up for air, and Malik rounded on his friend.

"Look what you have done. Crushed his spirit under your foot like you would a bug." He growled, and Altair glared back.

"He was talking like a woman; gossiping until he was blue in the face."

"That is no excuse to-"

"AHHH!" A large thump and a scream had Altair ejecting his hidden blade, rushing into the other, outdoor room, Malik on his heels with a sword from under the counter.

Nuri was crouched on the floor, backed into a corner, holding his foot in one hand, his other helping him press into the wall.

Away from the templar who was quickly advancing on him.

"Get back!" Nuri yelled, chucking a rock off the fountain at the metal helmet, striking him with a sharp tang.

Malik sprang forward, but the templar turned with his own sword in hand.

He hit Malik's weapon out of the way with his own, then, with a well placed kick, sent Malik flying into the wall, his skull hitting the wall.

Altair jumped into action, sheathing his hidden blade and pulling his own sword out as the templar advanced on Nuri again.

Altair cursed the fact that Novices weren't allowed their own weapons.

He cursed again, seeing that Nuri's foot was completely turned to the side.

He jumped in front of the novice, arms open as if to shield him.

"Stay back." He growled, and the Templar laughed, and said something Altair did not understand, but he knew the mocking tone.

The Templar advanced, and Altair unsheathed his own sword, his legs automatically sliding down into the defense position.

"Can you stand, Nuri?" he asked over his shoulder. Nuri grasped the fountain, and pulled himself up as the Templar regarded them, still talking in his own language.

As Nuri let go of the fountain, he teetered precariously before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yes." Altair nodded, thinking about the situation.

This Templar had found their safe place, and Altair didn't know if there were others. Malik was unconscious, and Nuri, the boy Altair was supposed to be teaching, and most of all, protecting, was unarmed and injured.

Altair deflected a blow delivered from the Templar, and leaned forward, using a fist under the ribcage to knock the enemy back onto the ground.

He jumped into the Templars back, trying to keep him pinned.

"Nuri, get out of here. Go to the place." 'The Place' was the new Bureau. But, as lady luck would have it, the Templar threw Altair off, and into the wall next to Malik.

His skull cracked against the wall, and he saw miniature eagles in his vision for a moment until he heard a muffled scream.

He jerked back to reality and as he jumped to his feet, he charged at the Templar again.

The large man currently was backing Nuri into a corner, with the sword Altair had previously thrown to the ground.

There was a large gash on Nuri's arm, and the young boy had his hand curled around it, tears streaming down his face and his lower lip being chewed on in attempt to keep himself quiet.

Scooping his own sword off the ground, he rushed forward across the little outdoor room.

The Templar spun around, and with a new strength Altair acted quickly, swinging his foot upwards so that it reached the other man's groin. He felt little sympathy as he brought his own sword down on the man's shoulder.

The body dropped, and Altair looked down at it for a moment, feeling a little winded, but otherwise fine with a headache.

He looked over his shoulder. Malik was still unconscious, slumped against the wall, weakly gripping the sword.

He looked back at Nuri, who was slumped against the wall face hidden in shadow.

"Nuri....Are you alright?" Altair slowly approached, and knelt next to the novice. He was shaking.

"I-I am sorry, Altair...I should have h-h-helped y-you. I'm useless." The boy whispered, and Altair sighed.

"You were injured, young one. There was nothing you could have done. You did well. Any other boy your age probably would have panicked. You kept your head, like a true assassin." Altair said calmly. He didn't sugar coat anything; it was the truth. Nuri had kept his head, like an assassin should, and any other young novice would have panicked at the sight of the large, red helmeted enemy.

"Now, what happened?" He continued briskly, and Nuri sucked in a large breath, looking up at him. His face was red, and his eyes watery. But he looked like Nuri again, somewhat.

"I...went up on the roof. To watch the sunset. A-and the next thing I know, is that he is right there, pushing me backwards. I fell into the Bureau and landed wrongly on my foot. Then you and Malik came in." Altair sighed. This meant that the Templars did indeed know where they were. They would have to move the rest of this Bureau's items immediately; tonight. Just in case others came.

He stood, just as Malik stirred, groaning a little.

"Ugh...my head..." He muttered, and Altair helped his friend up.

"You must help Nuri. He was injured. I will gather the remaining things and then we must leave." Malik stared at him.

"The Templars know we are here?"

"Undoubtedly."

Malik brushed past him, snapping into action as he helped the young boy over the the last few pillows.

Altair gathered the few scrolls and books left, before returning to the open area room.

Nuri's ankled had already been tightly bandaged, but Malik was having a hard time trying to keep the boy still and calm as he stitched his arm up.

"It will be over quickly, Nuri. Hush, child." Malik was soothing, but Nuri was shaking badly.

Altair deposited the things beside Malik, before kneeling next to his charge.

"Here. Bite down on this." He offered Nuri a thick piece of leather from the folds of his belt and watched Nuri sink his teeth into it deeply. Malik pushed the needle though the skin, and Nuri whimpered, leaning forward and burying his head into Altair's chest.

Altair stared at the boy, then at Malik, who smirked at him.

"You are his comfort object. I need him still, Altair."

Nuri was about to pull back when Malik started a new stitch, and Altair placed a hand on the back of the novice's head, holding it in place.

His fingers started to rub the young boy's head out of their own free will, and he realized that this was something his mother had done for him when he was still very young. He had half a mind to stop the traitorous digits, but it was calming Nuri down, so he did not.

15 minutes must have seemed a lifetime for Nuri, but after fifteen minutes it was over, and the boy was left patched up and pale.

"Thank you Master Altair. Thank you Master Malik." He whispered, and Malik smiled kindly at him.

"It was no hassle, young one. Come now, though. We must get to the new location quickly. We must have no more surprises tonight."

* * *

Malik and Altair sat in the candlelight of the new Bureau. Nuri was curled up on a pillow, sound asleep. The moon was high in the sky, stars twinkling down on the city of Jerusalem.

"What a thing to happen on his first mission." Malik whispered, so as to not wake the young boy.

"How is his stitches?" Altair asked, and Malik pursed his lips.

"They will hold. Poor boy. You did a good thing, allowing him to use you a security pillar." Malik replied, and Altair said nothing.

The boy had scared him. Not that he would ever say it out loud, he was having a hard time admitting it to himself, but he wasn't completely heartless. The boy had been through more than most novices should ever be exposed to on their first-ever-mission. A Templar was something most assassins couldn't handle, but for a new _novice_ to stand up to one? To throw rocks at one? The child must have been crazy or brave.

Malik stood.

"It has been a night of evils, and now it is late. Wake me if he has any problems, or someone is ambushing us again." the candle was blown out, and the garden-room was filled with the pale light of the moon and winking stars.

Altair lay down, but sleep did not reach him for many hours.

Nuri slept on.

* * *

The next morning, the three departed Jerusalem, leaving the Bureau Leader with his new arrangements and a report of what had happened.

Malik had parted with them in order to create a distraction, sending the guards from the entrance. He met up with them just outside the city, because Nuri was in no condition to risk being chased or climbing walls.

The horseback jarred his stitches a little, which Altair insisted he help re-bandage the morning before they would reach Masyaf.

"Novices don't have much practice with this." He said shortly, helping him wrap the clean white clothe around the boy's torso, and cinch it off.

Nuri smiled shakily at him, and Altair nodded back, before getting up and tacking his horse back up while the boy slipped his robes back on.

There were no bandits on the road, which was rare, but also had Altair thanking the gods. If Nuri was thanking them, Altair couldn't tell. But he seemed a little tense until they reached the gates of Masyaf, in which he broke out into a bright smile.

He sped up a tad, endangering pain, to walk beside the Master Assassin.

"Master Altair, Master Malik...look. The Basket Weaver is flirting with Abbas' sister again." Altair looked over the novice's head, and smirked. Abbas would not like that at all. The Basket Weaver was leaning on a basket, which promptly fell over. The girl laughed and giggled while the man turned red.

Nuri bit back a laugh, and Altair shook his head, putting a hand on Nuri's shoulder and steering him up the main road towards the tower.

Altair left the Malik and the boy in the medical wing, before returning to Al Mualim and reporting what had happened.

Assured that the child was receiving additional medical attention, Altair was promptly sent to assassinate another corrupted politician...

* * *

The next time he saw Nuri, he was standing behind Malik proudly, sword in hand and grinning at Altair, one of the only to keep his mind and will. He was progressing through the assassin ranks quickly, near as quickly as Altair once had. Altair had smirked upon seeing the boy.

"Master Altair, I wish you good luck." He said as he passed, and Altair patted his shoulder.

"Thank you, Nuri. You as well."

He had a faint burst of hope, seeing the young boy he had helped so many years ago, with a Templar.

* * *

I'm setting this BEFORE Solomon's Temple, probably a three or four, which would make Nuri 14 or 15 by the time Altair found Al Mualim to be a traitor. This is for Kiu-Lung on DA; I'm sorry it was so late! Please review and tell me what you think :)

http:// kiu-lung. deviantart. com /art /Assassin-s-Creed-Stay-Back-152736719 (without the spaces!)


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